to go back to its assault weapons ban that we had years ago. so the killer who has murdered a few people is saying yes, i'm for gun control. just a twisted mind we're dealing with here in a dangerous situation. >> i said this earlier, the experts don't think he's crazy. he's narcissistic, he's self-centered and wants if attention. >> they're calling it a personality disorder. keep it here on abc news for the latest. now to the other top story. a giant storm is hours away from bearing down on the northeast, threatening to shut down new york and boston. crews in new england are gearing up for their plows and their salt spreaders for what could be a historic blizzard. they could be two feet of snow. drivers from new jersey to maine are told to stay off of the roads. and the northern edge of this storm is blowing over from the midwest and it's already being

blamed for a school bus accident in michigan. two children were injured when a bus slid off a snowy road. schools in the northeast will be closed or dismiss early. 2600 flights have been cancelled in the northeast and in the hours ahead, expect a ripple effect nationwide. passengers were scrambling to fly out early last night. others may be delayed until next week. >> lit be a good weekend for many just to stay in the house or delay travel plans maybe till sunday if you can. >> no reason to go out. >> stay in place. another reason why, busy amtrak and mass transit lines are shutting down, as well. and power companies are preparing for the worst. >> meteorologist jim dicky has the latest predictions from accuweath accuweather. >> a blizzard unfolding here. overnight, storms offshore,

expecting blizzard conditions here from boston, through ba bangor, maine. that's one to two feet of snow with locally over two feet just off to the west of boston. rob and diana, back to you. >> jim, thanks a lot. now we turn to capitol hill why cia nominee john brennan has strongly defended the use of drones against terror targets. he said they're only used against targets planning on carrying out attacks on americans. he promised to tell congress every time terrorists are targeted. >> i would damn well make sure that this committee had that information. absolutely. >> after the hearing, intelligence committee chair diane fine feinstein called fore openness about drone strikes.

>> talking about, this is a hot button issue. at the very beginning of that hearing,g, it was interrupted repeatedly by protesters who came in and eventually the entire room had to be cleared and only authorized people were allowed in, because it was interrupted so many times. >> we've seen that kind of thing before. they took it to another level yesterday, the fact that they had to close things off a little bit here. politically speaking, it seems likely he will get confirmation. certainly more likely than chuck hagel. so far so good for mr. brennan. but the drone has become the hot issue, because the obama administration has kind of changed positions in the last couple of years about, you know, tactics. well, the dream of luxury living is over for a squatter in south florida. andre barbossa had taken over

this foreclosed mansion, claiming an archaic law called adverse possession. but the bank of america, which owns the multimillion dollar property, had him evicted. the bank even had the locks changed and posted a 24-hour guard just to make sure the place remains unoccupied. >> this story should entertain you guys. a man in tennessee has quit his job after being linked with the number 666 through his employer several times. he received i.d. badge 666. another document also included is the so-called number of the beast. and the final straw was his recent w-2 form, when it included 666. he knew then he simply had to go. >> don't accept any papers, any telephone bills, anything with number of that.

>> the company says it wants walter back on the job and will issue him a new w-2 form and has banned the use of the number 666 anywhere within the company. seems to be a strong -- >> he's a very religious man and 666 does mean the devil. >> remember that movie "the omen" from the '70s. his name was damian, which happens to be my middle name. and i was born on the 6th month of the year at 6:22 a.m. and i weighed 6 pounds and 11 ounces. just back off, willis. that's all i'm saying. don't mess with me. just a personal note to pass on this morning. >> just a personal note. >> let's move on with the news, shall we? now to a sports note after

all that. we're beginning to wonder if any men's basketball team wants to be ranked number one. >> it happened last ght. number one indiana was upset by illinois thanks to a last-second basket. hoosiers go down. final score 74-72. the number one team has now lost for five straight weeks. up and down season, man. >> in re addition, duke twice. last night was indiana's second loss as a number one this season. >> i love college hoops. almost time for march madness. coming up next, dog gone innovative care for man's best friend. >> and advice for finding airfare bargains for the entire family. you're watching "world news now."

[♪...] >> i've been training all year for the big race in chicago, but i can only afford one trip. and i just found out my best friend is getting married in l.a. there's no way i'm missing that. then i heard about hotwire and i realized i could actually afford both trips. see, when really nice hotels have unsold rooms, they use hotwire to fill them. so i got my four-star hotels for half-price! >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com >> announcer: save big on car rentals too, from $12.95 a day. [ male announcer ] no matter what city you're playing tomorrow. [ coughs ] ♪ you can't let a cold keep you up tonight. [ snores ] vicks nyquil. powerful nighttime 6-symptom cold & flu relief. ♪ [ sniffles, coughs ] excuse me. i need something for my cold symptoms. [ sniffles ] we've got dayquil for day and nyquil for night. [ thuds ] you didn't see that. [ male announcer ] right now at walgreens dayquil and nyquil are just $10.99 with card.

in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery

until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪

with a major snowstorm about to hit the northeast, you might be starting to think about some warm weather. >> to escape the cold, you're going to have to fly for most of you guys, and that can get expensive. but abc's paula faris got some expert advice to save you some cash. >> reporter: airline mergerks mean good news. you'll probably be flying on a newer aircraft. the bad news, with less competition, airfares can climb. >> just over the last three years, airfare has risen as much as 20%. >> reporter: rising fares are very much on the mind of the rodriguez family.

madelyne and her three sons and daughter hoping to fly from honolulu to ontario, california, and looking at nearly $1,000 a ticket. >> it's just too much. paula, i need your help. >> reporter: so we asked our travel expert for help. first tip, the rodriguez family is better off buying two tickets and then the remaining three tickets separately. finding all five seats together can cost you more for the convenience of sitting together. >> you have to be being to break up the family? >> right. >> reporter: tip two, we've heard over and over it's best to fly on wednesday, the least popular day to travel. but when is best to book? turns out it's tuesday at 3:00 p.m. >> that's when the airlines typically release their sale fares, so they tend to load their systems around that time. >> reporter: tip three, use sites like kayak.com, which alert you of any drops in fare.

but buy your ticket directly with the airline often cheaper. and be flexible the rodriguezes were looking to fly with a layover to an tontar california. we found a non-flight for almost $2,000 less. airlines don't publicize this, but many will issue a voucher or credit if the fare goes down after it's booked. and there are websites to track the fares and alert you if it's gone down. we have more on this on our website. rob and diana? >> thank you paula for that report. we'll be back with more right after this.

♪ having a dog is, for some

people, like having a child and sometimes just as expensive. >> when pets are sick, there are a wide variety of options, and more and more pet parents are choosing alternative treatments. so abc's juju chang checked it out. >> reporter: from bearded dragons to potbellied pigs, man's best friend comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. but when they get sick, we don't want to treat them like guinea pigs. instead, there's a growing movement to treat animals with the best that medicine has to offer. like hydrotherapy, even pet acupuncture. >> nobody likes seeing their pet in pain. >> reporter: snoops suffered with chronic back problem, which is common with shih tzus. >> there really isn't an equivalent conventional medicine

to stimulate the damaged nerves. >> reporter: 3 million humans use this from debilitating pain to quitting smoking. mark swears that acupuncture made all the difference. >> she has a bad neck and bad back. >> reporter: while animals can't tell if the treatments work or not -- >> it's okay. >> reporter: these owners say their pet's actions speak louder than words. >> i know it was acupuncture. the other stuff didn't work. after these treatments, she was like a little puppy again. >> it's not for everybody. but the proof is in the pudding. if you do it and it works, it works. >> reporter: but there's a lot of skepticism, too. veteran vets say there's no science to prove that sticking dogs with needles is good medicine. >> the problem is there's no consensus. so you'll find studies that show there's an effect, and studies

that show there's no effect what soefr. another half truth is that there's such thing as an acupuncture point. nobody has ever been able to demonstrate there is such a thing. >> reporter: but even critics can agree, the best medicine for your pet is a lot of tlc. which doesn't cost anything and yet is still priceless. juju chang in new york. >> okay, two things. number one, that's a bit much because that's a lot of money and we have no idea if it works. because a dog can't say oh, that felt good. the dog can't say that. number two, don't ever feed your dog out of your mouth, because that's just gross. >> that was in the piece? because i wasn't paying attention. >> that happened at the very end. i love, love pets, animals.

i am a lover of the canine. and the cat. >> do you let your dog lick you in the face? >> no. >> that's where i draw the line. i don't think you and rin tin tin should be making out. we'll be back. [ female announcer ] with secret outlast clear gel, there's no white marks or worries. [ man ] on in 5! [ female announcer ] it works as hard as you do... to outlast your day. [ man ] action! wow! [ female announcer ] secret outlast clear gel is better than the next leading invisible solid on white marks. secret outlast clear gel.

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helping protect your family with lysol... that's our mission for health. ♪ mmmm. can't beat them. wow. this is one of the sweetest times of the year. it's girl scout cookie season, and today happens to be national girl scout cookie day. your turn. >> of course, this is our favorite story of the day. and to mark the day, we've got a few boxes of our own, as you can see here. not as many as a warehouse in michigan where tens of thousands of cases of cookies are all ready to be distributed there. girl scouts have been selling cookies since 1917. the scouts say the cookie sales

help girls learn about money management and builds people skills, as well as confidence. even though it's more parents doing the selling than the girls sometimes. >> you said you weren't going to do that. >> i'm sorry, i'm sorry. >> that's a controversy. there are 11 different kinds of girl scout cookies these days. let's take a look. >> thin mints. samoas, which are already flown as caramel delights. the shortbread cookies. the peanut butter sandwiches. >> the savannah smiles, which are also lemon, thanks a lot, which is a shortbread and fudge cookie. we have mango creams and the thank you berry much. >> i'm embarrassed to say i didn't know the dosy doe.

i stop at samoas. everybody has their favorite scout cookie. mine, the samoa. >> mine is the samoa, too. these are the best. so it's only natural that even the president of the united states has a favorite, as well. and if you're the president, making that decision can be tricky. check it out. >> i'm pretty partial to those mint -- >> thin mints! >> i'm just saying, that's just me. i didn't mean to create controversy here. did you hear? there was somebody booing. >> the president called out that person who was booing, who admitted he likes the peanut butter cookies better. >> the girl scout cookies were created in the early 1900s, but it wasn't until the 1930s that they were sold on a large scale. >> they cost 23 cents per box.

six boxes for $1. 24. obviously times have changed a little bit.

this morning on "world news now," double trouble. two winter storms join together and now millions of people in the northeast are in mother nature's bull's-eye. >> areas hard hit by super storm sandy are about to get slammed again by blizzard conditions. it's february 8. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good friday morning, everybody. a busy start to the weekend. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather predicts hurricane force winds and two feet of snow. that's our top story. another major headline, the all-out search for an ex-cop

accused of killing three people. >> such a frightening story and really a national man hunt at this point. and lawmakers demand tighter gun regulations, there's a new focus for mental health care. >> and the need for speed. the fearless skateboarder who is in trouble after he took a joyride going up to 43 miles per hour. lots of downhills, i'm assuming. first, that fierce blizzard about to close in on the northeast, shaping up to be one for the record books. >> the northern edge of the storm has slammed the midwest, but it's about to get a lot worse. poised to dump two feet of snow on new england. >> reporter: from new york to boston, the winter weather arsenals are prepped and ready for blizzard war. and those in charge of the snowy

battle are competing their commands simple. >> stay offer the streets of our city. basically stay home. >> reporter: in a chaotic salem, massachusetts supermarket, the entire department was called in because there were just too many people stocking up. what did you get? >> all the provisions, the junk food, the real food, the water. >> reporter: here's how it goes down. a storm slamming the great lakes now will join forces with another one from the south, and then there's the wind. wind gust also reach 50 to 60 miles per hour from philadelphia to boston. >> we have more than 250,000 tons of salt on hand. our sanitation workers will split 12-hour shifts starting at 7:00 p.m. >> reporter: wind and tons of snow is the last thing they need in new york city, where folks in staten island are still using tents after super storm sandy. >> hopefully we can supply them with enough hot food to get them through before the storm starts. >> reporter: this storm comes 35

years after the historic blizzard of 1978. two feet of snow and 70 plus-mile-per-hour winds paralyzed the northeast. i'm standing here on what looks like snow, but it's not. it is 100,000 tons of salt. they're getting another 60,000 ton delivery ahead of the storm. one of the tools so many of us will be using. by this time tomorrow i'll be using these goggles. ginger zee, abc news, chaes. accuweather meteorologist jim dicky continues our coverage now. good morning. >> a crippling snowstorm on tap here for today. two systems merging, colliding off the eastern seaboard, strengthening, moving north and eastward, conditions rapidly deteriorating. new york city starting as rain and changing over to snow. from providence, rhode island to bangor maine, blizzard conditions.

very dangerous situation as far as travel is kernd. not a good night to be out and about on the roadways. new york city right in the battleground, likely around a foot when all is said and done. just off to the best of boston, as much as two feet by the time all is said and done. rob and diana, back to you. >> don't you just love winter? >> you mean when it snows? >> thank you, jim, for that. here's the rest of today's weather. showers around orlando and miami. some rain from san francisco to san diego. up to half foot of snow in the southern california mountains, and northern rockies. >> 40s from seattle to salt lake city. 83 in miami. an intense man hunt in the mountains east of los angeles. police are going door to door in the big bear lake area looking fochristopher dorner.

>> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can, and -- >> then be killed. >> then be killed. >> he has multiple weapons at his disposal. >> dorner posted a rambling manifesto on facebook. >> and sent a package to cnn's anderson cooper. he talks about being the victim of racism as a younger man and how this theme of being a victim is one of the dominant themes of his life. on top of that on thursday morning, he went to a yacht club near san diego where he attempted not successfully to steal a boat and flee to mexico. did not work out here. but this guy is armed and extremely dangerous. >> if you see him, police are asking that you call them right away. and in other news this morning, we're learning new details about ray ralph, a man

charged with killing a former military sniper. a cell phone taken from his house may show pictures of him with the victims taken right before their deaths. attorneys are asking for a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he's competent to stand trial. thousands of mourners are expected to attend a public memorial for sniper chris kyle. the president's choice for the next head of the cia defended the use of drones against terror suspects trurg his hearing yesterday on capitol hill. he said such strikes are rarely used and only against targets planning to attack the u.s. however, the head of the intelligence committee, senator dianne feinstein, is calling for more openness about that drone program. outgoing defense secretary leon panetta revealed for the first time that there was a plan in place to support rebels in syria. but that plan was vetoed by president obama because of worries that the weapons might

fall into the wrong hands. more than 60,000 people have died in syria's civil war. >> by the way, i was just going to add to that civil war. it's cost that country the equivalent of $48 billion. when you think about a war, our war obviously has cost us trillions of dollars. but a country that has no money, and they're relying on us for help, $48 billion is a lot of money. >> and the u.s. has given syria about $210 million in aid to help those insurgents along. but this issue of whether we arm them is one. after two wars and libya, maybe the country was not ready to get involved in another country. but we put these arms in syria, how do we know they're not going to get in the hands of terrorists? and on the other side, the opposition groups look at the u.s. and say where are you guys? that makes them bitter towards

us and more likely to link hands with those same terrorists. so it's kind of a -- it's a lose on one hand and lose on the other, as well. >> all you have to do is look into the history books and realize things don't go the way you want. >> syria, the latest and best example. now to this. a couple of restaurants are undergoing major repairs after unwanted visitors came to visit. surveillance video shows a bar tender in south florida narrowly escaping as an suv comes crashing through the window. he suffered a cut on his leg but tore than that he's fine. the elderly driver was okay, as well. from the seattle suburbs, a van wound up inside a japanese restaurant. four people were checked out.

all of them were final. a pretty outrageous stunt has police in south africa wanting to arrest one of that country's top skateboarders. the video shows him hammering it downhill in capetown at over 40 miles per hour. >> cops say the speed is irrelevant. the video is proof that he was riding his board in a reckless manner. and skateboarding is illegal in cape town on public roads. it's still cool. >> why is it illegal? >> i'm sure it's to protect the skateboarders. >> i can't even roller skate. so i'm impressed with his skill. little bit of a wipeout. coming up later in the show, a special surprise for diana has she wraps up her first week on the overnight. and from the cheblgout

counter to a potential singing career, we'll find some talent at walmart. you're watching "world news now." people everywhere with sore throats

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welcome back, everybody. well, post newtown, lawmakers have introduced legislation to strengthen care for the mentally ill. a big issue in the gun control debate, as well. >> it would expand access to treatment and enable community clinics to provide around the clock care. >> reporter: the search for solutions after the massacre at sandy hook elementary cut through this minneapolis jail this week, where the sheriff told us he sees a link between gun violence and mental health. >> this is not about those who are receiving treatment. they're no more violent than anybody else. but untreated, we have a problem. >> reporter: stannic is president obama's ear, using white house meetings to push for more resources to identify and treat the mentally ill and keep dangerous people away from guns.

the problem can be seen as jails across the country like this one, where an estimated 25% to 30% of inmates suffer from a mental illness. expects say not all those people belong here. those that do sometimes struggle to get the care they need. 8 of 9 killers in mass shootings last year had histories ofmental illness. few received care and none were blocked from purchasing weapons. >> when we run the background check for you to purchase or acquire a hand gun, if we say it's okay, you should be good to go. the fact of the matter it's not. it's america's dirty little secret. >> reporter: just 12 states submit mental health data to the database, and only that do only include court ordered records. president obama said strengthening that system is a top priority, proposing money for states for better recordkeeping and asking doctors to report credible threats of

violence when they appear. >> you have people who have committed these tragedies, who would not have come to anyone's attention. they wouldn't meet our standards, they weren't in trouble in the law. we should be intervening early and right away. >> reporter: it's a costly plan that will take a long time. >> people need to keep hammering away and do the fixes that we suggested first and foremost. even if it's piecemeal and baby steps. >> reporter: steps that may prevent another tragedy from happening again. devin dwyer, abc news, minneapolis. >> and there is no way the gun control debate in this country can proceed without an equally important discussion about mentally ill. you look at the stats of the mass shootings we've seen, how many of those men have had mental illness and for whatever reason went through the system unchecked or were able to get their hands on a gun. that is absolutely part of the conversation. >> and the problem is, none of

these people look or act alike. so we thought we had an idea of two was behind the mass shootings. young, white, maladjusted. now we're talking about christopher dorner, very well adjusted black man who was a police officer. so there's no way to know who they are. >> there's no full-proof profile, but there is the common ingredient of, they're all, you know, they all have some issues going on in their head that somehow were not detected. no one in their family or school or church had the power to say something is up with this guy. so that's a lesson we keep learning the hard way in this country. still ahead, you hear the stories. people getting discovered in all kinds of places. >> we'll introduce you to a young walmart employee who was passing the time with a song.

then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now."

♪ oh, play me some mountain music ♪ ♪ like grandma and grandpa used to play ♪ kinds of places, not on this show. but moving on. consider the case of a young woman passing the time at her job in walmart simply by singing. >> thanks to a customer with an ear more music, this talent eed

cashier is now a youtube sensation. steve osunsami has the story. >> reporter: she's proof there's big talent in small places. 21-year-old kayla sloan was working in this walmart in west virginia when a customer noticed her singing a tune and pulled out an iphone to record the magic. little did she know the video would catch fire. ♪ my coat of many colors >> reporter: this is coal mining country. her husband is a coal miner, her grandfather, too. she had big dreams for years, but -- >> i never thought it would make it that far. i thought people would see me and enjoy it. but as far as it making it that far, i never even dreamed. i'm hoping to be on the grand ole opry. ♪ take the ribbon from my hand >> reporter: when she was 15, she and her brother cobbled together what they had to record this homemade album that no one

heard. but now she's a hit. at least in the mountains and certainly at the walmart she calls her second home. ♪ >> i've had people come through my line and say can i have your autograph or will you sing me a song? ♪ lord, mr. give me for what i do ♪ >> reporter: she now sings at her register, at her breakroom and she says she'll never give up, no matter how small the stage. steve osunsami, abc news, west virginia. >> she's going to make it. >> some producer is going to see that and say, book her. >> honey boo-boo, here we come. >> telling you. she can sing, though.

>> good for her. >> that was a nice line, steve. so keep on rocking. coming up, it's almost polka time on this friday morning and a little surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. ing. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive oror operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities

while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪

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well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovely diana perez, she's now completed her first full week with us here on "world news now." >> wow. >> the entire week now in the books and already we have learned many, many interesting things about you, my dear. this has been an educational week. for example, we know that her husband is an anchor -- >> why do we keep showing that ugly face? >> and he will now have overnight feeding duty for their infant son. he's a good guy doing his thing there in philly. and then we have this little guy right here, your 4 1/2-month-old son, devin. adorable baby. >> thank you. >> and the love of your life.

>> i love him to death. can't get enough. >> he's adorable. i'll give you that. and we learned about diana's celebrity crush, penelope cruz. >> well, yes. >> which is my favorite thing i learned here. we'll talk more about that privately. but in the meantime, a very special polka with barry mitchell! ♪ ♪ born and raised in queens, worked in boston for baked beans ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ we picked a winner, and it shows ♪ ♪ just try not to pick your nose ♪ ♪ i hope you read the fine print in your contract, it's a beut ♪ ♪ the hofstra hemstead

cheerleaders ♪ ♪ folks out there are half asleep, how come all the fuss ♪ ♪ your husband's name is deuces but you're aces with us ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ we knew that you were qualified the first time that you spoke ♪ ♪ we hired you because you laughed at each rob nelson joke ♪ ♪ just remember dignity has no place at half past 3:00 ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka welcome, diana perez. and we have a special something for you from the cheer leading coach. here we go. this is for you. were you a cheerleader back in your college days? these guys, seven times national

champions. >> eight times. >> eight times national champions.

following on "world news now." first, blizzard warnings and hurricane force winds expected hours from now in the northeast. why this storm could go down in the record books. and the developing story in southern california. the major manhunt for an ex-cop accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. it's friday, february 8. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. on this very busy friday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather updates us on the blizzard, and we'll get the very latest from l.a. on the manhunt.

and our colleague robin roberts announced when she's returning to "good morning america." a big update on her road to recovery as she gets ready to get up early once again and head back to the studio. >> and the party invitation that's outraged whitney houston's mother, sissy. we'll explain this emotional situation coming up in "the skinny." >> but first, the mammoth winter storm that will be hitting the northeast, bringing hurricane force winds and in some spots up to two feet of snow. >> storm warnings are posted from green bay to portland. schools and workplaces are closing and transit systems and airport operations are in crisis mode. we begin with abc's chuck sivertsen. >> reporter: after back-to-back blizzards two years ago and the wrath of super storm sandy, mother nature is unleashing a storm so intense, it could be the worst in a century. the warnings could not be clearer. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: a snowstorm that hit the great lakes with snow

and ice is joining another storm in the south to form a monster nor'easter. as many as 23 million people are in the path. some coastal areas hit by hurricane sandy are in the bull's-eye of a prolonged storm. some of sandy's survivors still living in tents on new york's staten island will have to move. floods threaten the northeast shoreline for thousands of miles. it's a dreaded sense of deja vu. along the new jersey shore. >> i think i'm going to have to move my things upstairs. we'll see what happens. >> in case it floods? >> yeah. >> salt truck and plow operators from pennsylvania to maine are ready for a long haul. >> it will probably be a long four days. which is tough on anybody. >> reporter: fears of power outages sent people to the stock markets to stock up and to the gas stations to fill up. sales of generators are brisk, and travelers have been changing plans, rebooking flights to avoid agonizing airline dry

delays. >> usair relaxed their policies, soy didn't have to pay anything. >> reporter: thousands of flights will be canceled. a necessary precaution in a storm that's destined for the record books. chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> this snowstorm could bring the heaviest snowfall in areas in a century. >> coverage continues with meteorologist jim dicky at accuweather. good morning. >> good morning. a crippling snowstorm expected here today. two systems colliding. an area of low pressure strengthening as we go through the afternoon off the eastern seaboard. watching the corridor from new york city on north and eastward. blizzard conditions from long island up through maine through the overnight. worst conditions from noontime on. but the worst of the worst occurs around 7:00 p.m. tonight through the morning hours. by the time all is said and done many spots, 1 to 2 feet of snow. >> our thanks to jim. now to the other top story. the intense search in southern california for suspected triple killer christopher dorner. right now they're focusing in

the big bear lake area about 80 miles east of los angeles. that's where his burnt out pickup truck was discovered. he's wanted for killing a police officer, a popular basketball coach and her fiance. abc's nick watt reports on the motive. >> reporter: 33-year-old christopher dorner lives here in orange county with his mother. a forensic psychologist who just read his manifesto has a startling conclusion. dorner was never planning to return home. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can. >> and then be hilled. >> and then be killed. >> reporter: four years ago when he says he was fired by the lapd, he claimed a colleague kicked a detainee. the former chief doesn't remember the case. >> believe me, the department goes through exhaustive efforts, and there were a multiple series of trials and reviews before an officer would be discharged. >> reporter: no one grows up and wants to be a cop killer, wrote

dorner. it was against everything i ever was. in his sometimes rambling 6,000 word statement, corner says he wants to clear his name and expose corruption. >> he knows what he's doing. >> reporter: but why now? he was honorably discharged from the u.s. navy reserve just last friday after ten years service, including a tour in the persian gulf. was that the trigger for this killing spree? or evidence of careful planning? >> i have more questions than i do have answers at this point. >> reporter: if dorner gets his wish, if he is killed, we might never know the whole truth. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> wow. and this 6,000 word manifesto gives some scary insight into what he's thinking. one part in the document where he writes, self-preservation is no longer important to me. i do not fear death, as i died long ago on 1-2-09, referring to the day he was fired. so this is a guy that is looking

to kill and be killed. that's what makes him interesting. >> this manifesto is interesting. he switches from being insane to 100% lucid. he talks about, in two different political figures and different stars on television. almost like this is something that he now has a platform. and unfortunately he does, because this is such a big story. we have to talk about it. we have to talk about him. experts say he's not crazy. he's just narcissistic. it's all about him. >> it's a sickness in terms of what drove him to murder. but he is aware of what he's doing. you mentioned celebrities. he talked about ellen degeneres. he talked about larry david. he talked about charlie sheen and celebrity chef anthony boar bordane. so in this mix of talking about his life, these celebrity things intertwine. he also sent a package to anderson cooper. >> we'll get into that later on and you'll see what was in the package. but just looking for attention and he's obviously getting it,

and he's getting it in more ways than one. and we need to find him. they need to find him. >> exactly. that's where the l.a. area is very much on edge tonight. in other news this morning, boeing has been given the okay to run test flights on its 787 dreamliner. even though one jet flew from texas to washington state, the entire fleet of 787 passenger planes remains grounded. the upcoming flight will be used to test the plane's lithium ion batteries. the giant jets were taken out of service after one battery caused a fire and another smoldered during a flight. airline analysts predict when and if american merges with u.s. arways, fares could go up because there will be less competition. fares have gone up 20% since 2009. industry experts say there could be an emergence of discount carriers looking for business. the merger is expected to be announced next week, but will still need regulatory approval. in a small texas school

district, there are a lot of double takes going on. >> that's for sure. that's because there are 14, yeah, 14 sets of twins roaming those halls. they're not all identical, but those two are shared stories of switching places. >> some of the kids say their parents are urging them to dress differently to make it less confusing for their teachers. this is a great story. but interesting fact, this is not a record. i did a story in connecticut -- this is a school district in texas. i did a story where in one high school, there are 14 sets of twins in one school. and a lot of these kids had come up through, you know, elementary school, middle school, high school and they were sad they were going to be separated once college came. but they are the record holders. >> how long ago did you do that story? >> probably 2 1/2 years ago. so some of them -- most of them

have already graduated. >> in this case in texas, only one set of the twins is a boy-girl combo. the rest are same sex. isn't that interesting? >> there were a lot of boy-girl combos in the story i did. but it's so cool. >> would you want a twin? >> my entire life i wanted a twin. and i want to have twins. >> so you're not done with the one kid? is that what you're saying? >> that's what i'm saying on television. hey, baby. >> have a wonderful valentine's day. coming up later in the show, why justin bieber is complaining, even though he's hitting a big musical milestone. and robin roberts' recovery and the date she's set to return to "good morning america." you're watching "world news now." ♪

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♪ ♪ all the little birdies going tweet, tweet, tweet ♪ ♪ rocking robin we have some excellent news to pass along to you this morning about our friend and colleague robin roberts. >> she has officially announced when she will return to the airwaves. abc's linzie janis reports on robin's recovery and how she's preparing for the big return.

>> this is a moment we've been waiting for. >> reporter: "good morning america"'s robin roberts has been cleared by her doctors to return to work. she's been testing her strength, running through shows and winding her alarm clock back to 3:45 a.m. and now we have a date. >> wednesday, february 20th. exactly five months to the day she had her bone marrow transplant. >> reporter: robin rejoins co-host george step nop louse and the rest of the "gma" gang and they aren't the only ones welcoming her home. >> robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you. god bless you. >> i am delighted to know that robin is coming back on the air. >> welcome back, robin! >> reporter: just last week, robin returned to her hometown in mississippi for the first time since her bone marrow transplant. watching the super bowl and celebrating her recovery with family. >> i feel mother's spirit.

i feel daddy's spirit. and i know that from their heavenly balcony right now, they are celebrating. >> reporter: it was robin's sister, sally ann, who donated the bone marrow robin needed to get better. her blood disorder was a side effect from chemo therapy she received as mart of her breast cancer treatment back in 2007. when she returns, robin will eased back in, working her way back up to five days a week. she says she can't wait. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> it is wonderful, wonderful to see her. she's eased her way back in. so it's nice to see that she's -- we're going to see her. >> february 20th is the big day. she's had a miraculous recovery. i've said it on the air before, i'll say it again. she's one of the most grounded, down-to-earth, real home genuine human beings, don't let all the tv stuff go to her head in this entire building. so we're all just happy she's back and wish her nothing but the best. the show is not the same without her there.

>> we'll finally start tuning back in, robin. >> we'll see you in a few days. coming up, outcry over ensensitivity from whitney houston's mother. >> and justin bieber is upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny." milestone. next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny

skinny in the house! >> welcome to "the skinny," everyby. we're starting with whitney houston's mom, sissy, who is very upset. so she got an invitation to clyde davis' grammy party. as you may remember, it was the annual party last year, or leading up to the annual party last year that whitney houston died in the hotel. >> she performed at that party, remember that? and then later that night went to the hotel and she passed away. the next night was the grammys. something like that. yeah. >> so mom says she got the invitation. she called it obscene. she says she has no idea why they would want me to come to the party in which she died. she called it unheard of. but she did say -- she his they sent it to her remembrance sake. she did admit she will be tuning

in to watch. and all of this ties into the fact that she also just released a book, which bobbi kristina tweeted out that it was disrespectful to her and her mother. to which sissy says she's grieving. we get it, she's grieving but she knows i love her. >> a lot of houston family drama. the daughter and the relationship with bobbi and all this stuff. >> lots of drama. >> it's not obscene to be invited. it's just a sign of respect. clyde made whitney a star. >> the entire family is still grieving. so it's got to be a sensitive subject. >> and we wanted to give our respects to stuart freeborn. he passed away at the age of 98 in london. you may not know the name or face, but you know his work. he was the makeup genius behind "star wars." he passed away at the age of 98. had a six decade career in film. he did "2001 space odyssey," but his claim to fame was "star wars" and george lucas said he was already a legend in the

business before he came to the set of "star wars." but just wanted to note that passing and send thoughts and love to the family. but everyone loves "star wars." >> absolutely. an incredible man, incredible work. justin bieber has become the first artist with five number one albums before his 19th birthday. >> wow, before 19. >> before he hit 19, this man has -- this boy, this teenager has five number one albums on the billboard 200. "believe acoustic" tops the list with 211,000 copies sold. but great success and great tragedy, if you can call it tragedy. he's never been nominated for a grammy. >> i don't think tragedy is the word. >> i can't think of a word. great success comes great -- a little bit less success. also, apparently the mandela

family, they're jumping into the reality tv game. >> what? >> he himself has had health issues. he's not going to be in the show. but his two 30 something granddaughters are going to be followed by the tv cameras as they do their motherhood thing, as well as his controversial ex-wife winnie is going to be in the piece, as well. the 13-episode first season is going to debut very soon. they're doing the press tours and so forth. it should be interesting. we usually don't get a personal peek into this anti-apartheid icon and his family. but apparently -- >> this man has been in and out of the hospital. he's a sick man. >> it's reality tv. >> you've got to sign up if they give it to you. okay, really quickly. john mayer is admitting he was a jerk to ex-girlfriends. we've all seen him and the beautiful women he's dated. jessica simpson, jennifer anniston.

and now he's dating katy perry, who is 28 years old. and he's basically admitting that he was a jerk to his girlfriends. >> further proof, girls like the bad boys. >> that's true. ue. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm janelle monáe. and i'm a covergirl. ♪

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charmin ultra strong helps keep you and your underwear clean. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? ♪ it is finally friday. almost time to get the party started. >> ready to roll. >> you always roll your eyes at me, by the way. >> do i really? >> like oh, god. this one again. >> i didn't notice that. did i do that? >> yeah. >> nothing personal. >> it's okay. >> i roll my eyes at the week. it's been a long one. from a super bowl blackout to a tense hostage standoff, it's been again another very busy news week. here's a look back at our friday rewind. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown.

>> we've identified gaping holes in the background checks. it's really become what's america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> the suspect's mother, she may have reached out to mr. kyle to try and help her son. and we kind of have an idea maybe that's why they were at the range for some type of therapy. >> at the time i had plans to commit suicide. ummm, so i was extremely confident that no jury would convict me because i didn't expect any of you to be here. >> mr. dikes was observed holding a gun. at this point, fbi agents fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child. ♪ >> we lost power. i don't know what happened. >> i just knew with jim harbaugh being on the other sideline and all those years we've been together, that game was going to be a dogfight to the end.

>> when washington is the biggest obstacle to economic growth, we have a big problem. >> while big banks and lenders built mortgage backed bombs, it was s&p 500 that detonated them. >> it's not a burp. it's barely a fart. >> celebrity birthday today. chris christie turned 50, he blew out the candles on his cake and wished for another cake. >> i don't like to get emotional, but i know what he's going through. >> today you see that i'm alive. i can speak. i can see you. i can see everyone. and i'm getting better day by day. it's just because of the prayers of people. >> a lot of interesting stuff. >> that girl is so inspiring. i love her comeback and just what her life represents to everybody now. >> she's a wonderful, remarkable young lady. that's for sure. >> i'm not rolling my eyes at that. >> i'm sorry. yes at

that. >> i'm sorry.